Manufacture or treatment of lengths of cord or other material.



T. SLOPER. MANUFACTURE 0B TREATMENT OF LENGTHS 0F QQBD OR OTHER MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1901 3.

' Patented Jilly 26, 1910.

\dvenior.

Wz' in e-su-ea iTED sra'rnis PATENT enrich.

THOMAS SLQPEB, OF DEVIZES, ENGLAND.

MANUFACTURE 0R TREATMENT OF LENGTHS 0F CORD OR OTHER MATERIAL.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 26, 1910.

Application nee June ,3, .1909. Serial 1%. 500,026.

, The invention is particularly applicable to the manufacture or treatment of rubbered cords such as are used in the manufacture of cord tires, although the invention is not restricted to this. The rubbered cords referred to are convenientl first made of circular cross section and t on flattened so that the cross section is oblong. To flatten the cord it may be passed between rollers and received on a bobbin and during this operation ofi winding onto the bobbin it is particularly desirablezto maintain that portion of the cord which lies between the receiving bobbin and the rollers under a uniform tension. Similarly it is necessary sometimes towind the cord from one bobbin to another apart from flattening, and

when doing this it is required to keep the cord under uniform tension. Heretofore these winding operations have been effected by means, of a slipping clutch or belt employed for drivin the bobbin so that when the tension on t e cor'd being wound be flattening rolls) and take-up mechanism,-

that they exactly synchronize, and moreover the rate of take-up "increases as the bobbin becomes full. To maintain the tension on the cord'under treatment constant,

1 it' istherefore necessary to introduce some device which is extremely sensitive so that the least change of tension may be immediately rectified and thus what may be termed a uniform tension maintained.

According to this invention a friction drive for the bobbin or other suitable part of the machine is "used as before, but in conjunction with it mechanism is employed for varying the degree of pressure of one driving member against the other for the purpose of maintaining the tension upon the cord constant as it is fed through the machine. Preferably the mechanism employed with the friction drive is controlled by the tension put upon the cordas it is fed through the machinein such manner that it varies the degree .of pressure of one .drivi-ng member against the-other, and thus, by continually correcting any slight momentary varia tion of tension, maintains generally speaking a uniform tension on the cord.

According to one method of carrying out this'invention, the mechanism for controlling the friction drive comprises a jockeypulley, carried by a yielding support, and over which the cord is passed as it travels from .the flattenin rolls to the receiving bobbin. The yiel ing support is operatively connected with the friction drive so that ass-the length of cord feeding through the machine decreases or increases owing to variations in the rate of operation of the feed .rolls and the bobbin, the pulley will be displaced and correspondingly regulate the friction drive. The friction drive may comprise two opposed disks, .one of which is spring-controlled and ,the movements of the jockey-pulley may control the pressure of the spring so as to decrease the pressure of the corresponding friction member against the opposed member as further slip is required. With the same machine there preferably provided a gaging arm over by means of the cordand disconnecting the clutch stops the machine.

In the accompanying drawings :Figuie 1 shows diagrammatlcally a machine construoted according to one method of carrying out this invention,- and Fig. 2 shows 4 counterbalance-weight K the gaging finger J diagrammatically the same machine viewed from the right of Fig. 1.

' Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings. 7

The cord A on the supply bobbin B is of circular cross-section but after passing between the flattening rollers C its shape is altered so that the cross-section is oblong and it is then wound on to the receiving bobbin D. The bobbin B may be free upon its spindle but the bobbin D is driven by a frictlon clutch comprisin a driving disk E and a driven disk E 'lghe driving disk is fast upon a shaft E that may receive its motion by means of a chain and sprocket wheels from an intermediate shaft F. Free on the shaft F isa worm-wheel F that is driven by a worm G and on one side of the worm-wheel is a clutch-part F which cooperates with aslidin clutch-part F The shaft F carries one of the flattening rollers C and is geared by means of wheels H to a counter-shaft H which carries the other flattening roll C.

Secured to a rocking shaft J that is pivoted near the rollers C is an arm J 1 carrying a guide roller J 2 and gaging finger J The rocking shaft J has on it an arm J This arm is connected at J to an arm J. Another rocking shaft J 7 and an arm J 8 on this second rocking shaft has engagement with the clutch member F The rocking shaft J 7 also carries a third arm J 9 that is engaged by a spring-controlled or locking arm J having two notches J and J respectively. The cord as it leaves the bobbin B is assed over the guide roller J 2 and between 1t and It then passes between the flattening rollers C and is carried over a jockey-pulley K. The spindle of this pulley 1s carried by an arm K which in turn is supported b over a whee .L and has at its other end a The weight K is heavier than the pulley K so that it maintains a slight tension upon the cord. The wheel L is free on its spindle but has fast upon it a chain wheel L This wheel is connected by a chain L to a chain wheel L The wheel L carries a cam L and bearing a ainst the cam is an arm M. This arm is pivoted at M to a fixed support and has connection at M with the driven friction disk E that is free to slide on the shaft E A spring E acts to hold the friction disk E carried by a traversing arm N that is pivoted at N The arm 1s controlled by recip-. 'rocating mechanism N having a right and- I left-hand screw whereby the arm is moved a chain or cord K that lies.

backward and forward to feed the cord on to the bobbin. This mechanism is of a wellknown ty e and therefore does not require detailed escription, as it forms no part of the present invention. k

The operation of this machine is as folfeed rollers andthrough the medium of the rocking shaft J and its connection with the rocking shaft J 7 causes the clutch member F to be drawn away'from the member F This stops the whole machine and calls attention to the fault. The detent arm J 9 by means of its notch J holds the arm J normally in such position that the clutch F 2 F is operative, but when the clutch is disconnected the arm J 9 is moved into the If a knot or undue second notch J -and held in this position by the detent lever. Provided there are no knots or lumps the cord passes 'freely between the-gaging members and being flattened between the rolls passes over the jockey-pulley down to the bobbin D on to which it is guided by the traverse lever N and its guide pulleysN N The bobbin D however has to be driven in order that the cord may be wound thereonand requires to be driven at such a speed that it will always take up the cord as it is fed from the rollers. As the diameter of the bobbin is continually changing owin to the building up of the cord thereon it 1s necessary that some device for varying the speed of rotation must be introduced. An ordinary friction drive is very ineflicient for this purpose as such devices are very irregular 1n action and if the bobbin were driven by one of these the cord would be subjected to varying tensions, whereas it is desired that the tension shall be uniform. With the arrangement shown the tension on the cord is always maintained uniform, as an increased rate of feed on to the bobbin D, as for instance when the bobbin is partially full, causes more slack to be taken up between it and .the feed rolls and this draws down the that the bobbin D is driven more slowly. It will be seen that the adjustment is quite automatic and that the clutch E E? may be made extremely sensitive as a given displacement of the jockey-pulley K may be made to produce an esired displacement of the friction mem er Eby varying the ratio of the gearsL L and the shape of the cam L.

Instead of the wheel L obviously a counterbalance-arm may be employed, but the wheel is preferred as by using a chain or other comparatively heavy flexible connection between the jockey pulley K and the weight K, the weight of the chain may be made to approximately counter-balance the increasing ,or decreasing resistance oifered by the cam L lever M, and spring E". It will be seen that if the wheel L is rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow, the len h of chain is increasing on the right hand slde of the wheel andtherefore tends to aid the rotation of the wheel. On the other hand the cam L is offering increased resistance to this movement as owing to its eccentricity the lever M tends to rotate it in the opposite direction. The chain thus approximately counter-balances the increased resistance offered by the cam and when the direction of movement is reversed the length ,of chain on the right hand side of the wheel helps to counter-balance the tendency of the cam L to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction under the action of the lever M and treatment of lengths of material the combination of, a 'receivin bobbin, a driving member, a driven mem er having frictional engagement with the drivin that is operatively connecte with the receiving bobbin, means independent of said bobbin for feeding material thereto, andmeans controlled by the material as it isfed through the machine to .vary the pressure of one friction member against the other in proportion to any variatlon of tension on the material in the machine and for the purpose of correcting such variation,

substantially as set forth.-

2. In a machine for the manufacture or member andin one direction or the other according means for forcing one friction member into engagement with the other, a device for taking 11 an slack in that portion of the material t at hes between the positive feed device and the receiving-bobbin and that cooperates with the aforesaid engaging means for the friction driving members in such manner as to vary the pressure of one friction member upon the other in proportion to the amount of slack taken up at any given time, for the purpose of maintaining the tension on the material constant, substantially as set forth.

3. In a machine for the manufacture or treatment of lengths of material the combination of, a receiving bobbin, a positive feed device for supplying the material to the bobbin, a drivln member, a driven member having frictiona engagement with the driving member and that is operatively connected with the receiving bobbin, a device for taking up any slack in that portion of the material that lies between the positive feed device and the receiving bobbin and that is operatively connected with one of the friction driving members in such manner as to-vary the pressure of one member u on the other in proportion to the amount of slack taken up at any given time, for the purpose of maintaining the tension on the material constant, substantially as set forth.

4;. In a machine for the manufactur or treatment of lengths of material the combination of, a receiving bobbin, a positive feed device for supplying the material to the bobbin, a drivin member, a driven member having frictiona engagement with the dri'v in member and that is operatively connected with the receiving bobbin, engaging means for forcing one friction member into engagement with the other, a guide around which a bend of that portion of the material that lies between the positive-feed device and the receiving bobbin is passed, a tension device that always tends to displace the guide in such direction as to take up any slack in the bend of the material, and j means controlled by the guide and cooperatin with the aforesaid engaging means for the riction driving members in such manner as to vary the pressure of one friction member against the other as the guide moves to the increase or decrease in length of the bend ofmaterial passing around it, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5.'In a machine for the manufacture or treatment of lengths of material the combination of, 'a. receiving bobbin, a positive feed device for supplying the material to the bobbin, a driving member, a driven member having frictional en agement with the driving member andt at is operatively connected with the receiving bobbin, engaging means for forcing one friction member 1nto engagement with the'other, a jockey-pulley around which a bend of that portion of the material that lies between thepositive feed device and the receiving bobbin is passed, a counter-balanced ai'm that carries the jockeypulley and whose counter-balance is sufficient to always tend to move the jockeypulley in such a direction as to draw upon the bend of the material, and means controlled by the jockey-pulley and cooperating material passing around it, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

6. In a machine for the manufacture or treatmentof lengths of material the combination of, a receiving bobbin, a positive feed device for supplying the material to the bobbin, a driving member, a driven member having frictional engagement with the driving member and that is o eratively connected with the receiving bo bin, engaging means for forcing one friction member into engagement with the other, a jockey-pulley around which a bend of that portion-of the material that lies between the positive feed device and the receiving bobbin is passed, a wheel over which a flexible connector lies one end of which carries the jockey-pulley and the other a counter-balance, such coun ten-balance being suflicient to always tend to move thejockey-pulley in such direction as to draw upon the bend of material passed around it, and -means controlled by the wheel and cooperating with the aforesaid engaging means for the friction driving members in such manner as to vary the pressure of one member against the other as the jockey-pulley moves in one direction or the other according to the increase or decrease in length of the bend of material passing around it, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a machine for the manufacture or treatment of lengths of-material the combination of, a receiving bobbin, a positive feed device for supplying the material to the Y bobbin, a driving member, a driven member porting at one end the jockey-pulley and atthe other andon the opposite side of the- -wheel a counter-balance, a cam shaft, means for operatively connecting the wheel with the cam shaft, a yieldingly controlled meln ber that bears against the cam of the cam shaft and cooperates with the aforesaid engaging means for the friction driving members in such manner as to vary the pressure of one member against the other when it is displaced by the cam, the arrangement of the parts being such that when the cam is displacing the member against its yielding control the longer and consequently heavier portion of the flexible connection is on that side of its supporting wheel which tends to move the cam in the direction it is .to be moved, for the purpose set forth.

8. In a machine for the manufacture or treatment of lengths of material the combi nation of, a receiving bobbin, a positive feed device for supplying the material to the bobbin, a driving member, a driven member having frictional engagement with the driving member and that is operatively 0on nected with the receiving bobbin, a counter balanced device for taking up any slack in that portion of the material that lies betweenthe positive feed device and the winding bobbin, yielding means .whereby one;v

friction driving member is maintained in engagement with the other friction driving member, and means whereby the said device for taking up the slack is made to vary the effective force of the yielding control, for the purpose set forth.

9. In a machine for the manufacture or treatment of lengths of material the combinat on of, a receiving bobbin, a positive feed device for supplying the material to the bobbin, a driving member, a driven member having frictional engagement with the driving member and that is operatively con nected with the receivin bobbin, a device for taking up any slack in that portion of the material that lies between the positive feed device and the receiving bobbin, a cam, means for operatively connecting the jockeypulley with the cam in such manner that the movements of the former for taking up the slack will rotate the cam, yielding engaging.

means whereby onevfriction drivingmember s' maintained engagement with the other friction drivingmember, and means operated by the cam or varying the degree 0 pressure of one frictionmember upon the other, for the purpose set forth, 10. In a machine for-the manufacture or treatment of lengths of material the combination of, a receiving? bobbin, a positive. feed devlce for supplying the material to the bobbin, a driving member, a driven member having frictional engagement withthe driving member and that isoperatively connected with-the receiving bobbin, engag-"- ing means for forcingone friction member into engagement with theother, a device for taking up any slack in that portion of the mater al that lies between the positive feed device and the receiving bobbin and that cooperates with the aforesaid engaging means for thefriction driving members in such manneras to vary the'pressure of one mem.- ber against the other in proportion to the amount of slack taken up at'any given time for the purpose of maintaining the tension on the material constant, a gaging device through which the material is passed prior to its admission to the positive feed device, means for supporting the gaging device in such manner that item be displaced by the material should any part of the -material be too large for the gage, and means operatively connecting the gaging device with the driving mechanism of the machine in I such manner that the machine is stopped if the gaging device is displaced.

11. Ina machine for the manufacture or treatment of lengths of material the combination of, a receiving bobbin, opposed rollers whereby the material is fed to the bobbin and which flatten the material as it passes between them, a driving member, a driven member having frictional engagement with the driving member and that is operatively connected with the receiving bobbin, engaging means for forcing one friction member, into engagement with the other, and a device for taking up any slack in that portion of the material that lies between the flattening rollers and the receiving bobbin and that cooperates with the aforesaid en aging means for the friction driving mem ers in such manner as to vary the pressure of one member against the other in proportion to the amount of slack taken up at any given time for the purpose of maintaining the tension upon-the material constant, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS SLOPER.

Witnesses:

ROBERT SLoPER, ANNIE SLOPER. 

